Arctotis plant named ‘ARC406’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Arctotis  plant named ‘ARC406’, characterized by its compact, upright and mounded plant habit; freely branching growth habit; relatively small leaves; single-type inflorescences with golden yellow-colored ray florets and disc florets that are nearly black in color; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Arctotis hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ARC406’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Arctotisplant, botanically known as Arctotis hybrida and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘ARC406’.

The new Arctotis is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia. The objective ofthe breeding program is to create new compact Arctotis cultivars thattolerate high temperatures.

The new Arctotis originated from a self-pollination in October, 2001 inCobbitty, New South Wales, Australia of a proprietary selection ofArctotis hybrida identified as code number 2000.15, not patented. Thenew Arctotis was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a singleflowering plant within the progeny of the stated self-pollination in acontrolled environment in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia inOctober, 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new Arctotis by vegetative tip cuttings in acontrolled environment in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia sinceOctober, 2002 has shown that the unique features of this new Arctotisare stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar ARC406 have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘ARC406’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘ARC406’ as a new and distinct potted Arctotiscultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and mounded plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching growth habit.    -   3. Relatively small leaves.    -   4. Single-type inflorescences with golden yellow-colored ray        florets and disc florets that are nearly black in color.    -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Arctotis differ from plants of the parent selection inthe following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Arctotis have smaller leaves than plants of        the parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Arctotis have smaller inflorescences than        plants of the parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Arctotis and the parent selection differ in        ray floret color as plants of the parent selection have yellow        orange-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Arctotis can be compared to plants of the Arctotiscultivar Archley, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,667. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Cobbitty, New South Wales,Australia, plants of the new Arctotis differed from plants of thecultivar Archley in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Arctotis were more mounding than plants of        the cultivar Archley.    -   2. Plants of the new Arctotis had smaller leaves than plants of        the cultivar Archley.    -   3. Plants of the new Arctotis had smaller inflorescences than        plants of the cultivar Archley.    -   4. Plants of the new Arctotis and the cultivar Archley differed        in ray floret color as plants of the cultivar Archley had yellow        orange-colored ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of thenew Arctotis. These photographs show the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describethe colors of the new Arctotis.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspectiveview of a typical flowering plant of ‘ARC406’.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of a typicalinflorescence of ‘ARC406’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in an outdoor nursery during theautumn and winter in Bonsall, Calif. and under conditions and practiceswhich approximate those generally used in commercial potted Arctotisproduction. During the production of the plants, day temperatures rangedfrom about 16° C. to about 27° C. and night temperatures ranged fromabout 10° C. to 21° C. Plants were pinched one time. Plants used in thephotographs and for the description were about nine weeks old. In thefollowing description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Arctotis hybrida cultivar ARC406.-   Parentage: Self-pollination of a proprietary selection of Arctotis    hybrida identified as code number 2000.15, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About twelve days at            temperatures of 28° C. to 35° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plants, summer.—About four            weeks at temperatures of 28° C. to 35° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plants, winter.—About five            weeks at temperatures of 20° C. to 25° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous single-type potted Arctotis. Compact,            upright and mounded plant habit. Freely branching growth            habit with about eight lateral branches. Vigorous growth            habit.        -   Plant height, to top of foliar plane.—About 16 cm.        -   Plant height, to top of inflorescences.—About 27 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 30 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 13 cm. Diameter: About            4.5 mm. Internode length: About 5 mm. Strength: Strong.            Texture: Pubescent. Color: 194C.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.        -   Length.—About 3.7 cm.        -   Width.—About 2.1 cm.        -   Shape.—Spatulate.        -   Apex.—Broadly acute to rounded.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Irregularly serrated.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate, arcuate.        -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: 191A to 191B.            Developing foliage, lower surface: 198B. Fully expanded            foliage, upper surface: 147A; venation, 191B. Fully expanded            foliage, lower surface: 191A: venation, 191C.        -   Petiole length.—About 3.8 cm.        -   Petiole diameter.—About 3 mm.        -   Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.        -   Petiole color, upper surface.—147C.        -   Petiole color, lower surface.—148B to 148C.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Single-type inflorescence form with            ligulate-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on            terminal and axillary peduncles above foliage. Disk and ray            florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences            not fragrant.        -   Flowering season.—Plants flower from October to June in            Southern California; flowering continuous during this            period.        -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last about three to            four days on the plant; inflorescences persistent.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering, about 20            inflorescences develop per plant.        -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 2.8 cm. Diameter: About            1.1 cm. Shape: Rounded to ovate. Color: 166C to 166D.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 7 cm. Depth (height):            About 2.5 cm to 3 cm. Diameter of disc: About 1.4 cm.            Receptacle height: About 1 cm. Receptacle diameter: About            1.1 cm.        -   Ray florets.—Shape: Ligulate. Orientation: Initially            upright, then perpendicular to the peduncle; apices            reflexed. Length: About 3.6 cm. Width: About 6 mm. Apex:            Acute. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Number of ray florets            per inflorescence: About 18 arranged in a single whorl.            Color: When opening, upper surface: 13B. When opening, lower            surface: 166D. Fully opened, upper surface: 13A; towards the            base, 166A. Fully opened, lower surface: 12C; longitudinal            stripes, 172A to 172B.        -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle.            Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex: Five-pointed. Length: About            8 mm. Width, at apex: About 1.5 mm. Width, at base: About            1 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 98.            Color, immature: Apex: Close to 202A. Mid-section: 177A.            Base: 155D. Color, mature: Apex: 199A. Mid-section: 199B.            Base: 155D.        -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 24            in four whorls. Length: About 9 mm to 11 mm. Width: About            4 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture,            lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: 146C. Color,            lower surface: 148B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 16.8 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Angle: Mostly erect. Strength: Strong, flexible. Texture:            Pubescent. Color: 148C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity per disc floret:            Five. Filament length: About 1.5 mm. Filament color: Close            to 157D. Anther shape: Lanceolate. Anther length: About            2 mm. Anther color: Close to 79A. Pollen amount: Scarce.            Pollen color: Close to 21A. Gynoecium: Pistil length: About            7 mm. Stigma shape: Two-parted. Stigma color: 199A. Style            length: About 4 mm. Style color: 153D. Ovary color: 157A.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Arctotis has not been observed on plants grown under commercial    conditions.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Arctotis have been observed to    have good garden performance and to tolerate wind, rain and    temperatures from about 5° C. to about 40° C.

1. A new and distinct Arctotis plant named ‘ARC406’ as illustrated anddescribed.